Closure cap



Jan. 8, 1952 w`. J. KEITH cLosURE CAP 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed May 9, 1946 Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOS-URE CAP William J. Keith, Brookline, Mass., assigner to Keith-Peabody, Inc., Brookline, Mass., a corporation of `Massachusetts r Application May 9, 1946, Serial No. 668,527

This application is Tacontinuation-in-part of my prior application for Closures, filed August 3,

`1942, Ser. No. 453,437, now Patent No. 2,403,237, granted July 2, 1946. This invention relates to improvements in closure caps, particularly for bottles, jars, and

'other containers of the type in which it is desired to be covered by a closure that is removably attached thereto, as by screw-threads orother 'means of fastening the closure on the container.

Most of the closure caps that have been used commercially heretofore have been made of tin plate, aluminum, or thermo-setting synthetic resins. However, such `materials arey expensive Afor the manufacture of closure caps and the like.

the like, but such materials used a'reinforcing band preferably of sheet metal to form the thread ring of the cap.

An object of my invention is to construct the closure cap entirely of paper or like non-metallic material but at the saine time effecting a secure, rigid structure capable of being fastened tightly on a container and to be removable therefrom, and having the properties of sealing the contents of the container eiectively and securely 'when it is in place thereon.

A further object of the inventionis to improve the structure of the closure cap, andthe method by which it is made, wherebyV the cap is durable. inexpensive to manufacture, is of lightweight, and lends itself to decoration and ornamentation in an eifective manner, as well as being manufactured efliciently from paper strips that lmay be formed readily into a rigid structure having the desired` properties for `the closure cap.

The structure of this cap and its method of fabrication produce a, superior cap at greatly reduced cost, as compared with metals or resins.

This closure is formed preferably according to the preferred embodiment ofthe invention with a sidewall and guide ring` in one unitary structure and formed of paper or other thin nonmetallic material thatmay be Wound in multiple layers and So interconnected that the thread, ring is provided with an Veffective screw-thread or vother means of securing the cap detachably to the container but is reinforced also by the side wall structure so that it does not need 'to be formedof metal and yet `"has sufficient rigidity to maintain the effective mountingV Aof the cap on the container. .The structure lends itself to the 3 Claims.

securing of a liner therein as well as to the application of decoration to any desired extent both on the top and on the surrounding side Wall of the cap.

The guide ring and wall structure of the cap are formed preferably by winding one or more thin strips of non-metallic material such as paper into a multiplicity of layers to provide the desired thickness and impressing in the respective layers as ,Wound a thread groove which is em- .bossed at the inner face of the guide ring to form the thread or other means of securing the cap on the container. The successive laminations have the thread or other securingY means impressed directly therein one into another so as to reinforce the thread projection at the inner face of the cap and provide sufficient rigidity to the container when in place thereon. The successive layers may be secured directly together by adhesive or otherwise if required to forma more rigid structure.

The invention is illustrated in one embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section through the closure Cap;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a forming die and cap liner used in the construction of the closure cap and showing the application of the successive Wall layers thereto; and

Figs. 3 to '7 are similar views showing succeeding steps in forming the cap.

The invention is adapted to be applied in the form of a closure cap such as is used. for the sealing of containers, glass bottles, jars and the like, as set forth in `my priori application on Closures, Ser. No.` 453,437, now Patent No. 2,403,287, granted July 2, i943.` The processof forming the closure is set forth also generally in said application, including the winding of a paper strip on a threaded roll or die such as is illustrated generally in Figs. 2 to 7 of this application. It is understood that a' complementary forming roll is used in impressing succeeding layers in thethread groove as set iorth also in the aforesaid application.

The thread. roll R is cylindrical inform and .is shown as provided with a spiral groove l in the periphery thereof, the shape of which, however, may be varied as desired so as to form a screw-thread or other means oi attachment of the closure cap on the inner wall thereof. This m11 R is provided also with a second groove 2 that extends circumferentially thereof for a purpose hereinafter described. The groove 2` is formed by a;reduced upper end on the roll R,

disc 3. The thickness of the strips and size of the cap are exaggerated considerably in .the j drawings for clearness of illustration, it being understood that in the actual construction many' laminations will be used of relatively thin-paper. The number and thickness of the strips of paper closure cap to be formed.

In the form illustrated, the rst step in form-` ing the cap after applying the liner disc 3 to the roll R, is to apply to the periphery of the roll R a contact lining 6 which is preferably of a single ply wound upon the periphery of the roll. This lining 6 is initially of suicient width that the strip projects above and below the top and bottom ends of the roll, as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time that the lining 6 is applied to the roll R the co-acting complementary forming roll R', such as that set forth in the aforesaid application, impresses into the surface of the strip one or more grooves complementary with the groovesv I and 2, thereby forming on the inner surface of the strip 6 athread rib 'l and an inner circumferential rib 8 to embrace the periphery of the liner disc 3 and retain said disc permanently as apart of the cap. l i

Thereafter an additional strip,V generally designated at 9, is wound in the form of a coil of the desired number of convolutions on the outside of the contact lining 6. In the form illustrated in the drawings this side wall strip 9 is in three convolutions although the number thereof may be varied as desired according tothe character of cap to be formed. The complementary forming roll R impresses a groove into each convolution of the side wall strip 9, as indicated at I0, simultaneously with the winding of each said convolution or layer upon the contact `lining 6 and preceding layers. paper or other material forming. the wall unit 9 will reinforce the thread rib 1. by being forced therein and in succeeding backing convolutions as these are formed and simultaneously with the winding of the laminations on the roll. This not only embosses a thread on the inner surface of the closure, but thisv thread is backed up and reinforced by similar ribs embossed in the succeeding laminations applied thereover.

As set forth in the aforesaid application, the succeeding laminations or layers may be secured together adhesively, if desired, to increase the permanence and rigidity of the structure. Any suitable adhesive material maybe used as del sired, but it is preferred that a synthetic thermosetting resin be employed for the purpose.

Simultaneously with the forming of the spiral thread rib at the inner surface of the wall structure and on the contact lining 6, the rib 8 is formed also at the inner surface thereof, but in the form shown thisV rib extends circumferentially of the cap. The co-acting forming roll R that is complementary tothe roll R is also constructed to tuck the paper material 9 into the initially embossed Vrib portion 8, Vas indicated at Thus the 4 I I, so as to reinforce this rib 8 in the manner indicated in the drawings.

Additional laminations may be applied thereover, as indicated at I2 in Fig. 3, to build up the wall structure to the desired thickness. These additional wall laminations are embossed at I3 complementarily with the thread rib in the manner described so as to continue to reinforce this rib portion of the cap.

successively or simultaneously with the application of these additional laminations to the structure, the upper edge of the contact lining may be turned over at I4 onto the top surface of the liner disc 3, as shown in Fig. 3. This securely embracesjthe periphery of the liner disc by the Wall structure of the cap.

Thereafter'additional side wall laminations are applied as shown at I5 in Fig. 4. These laminations are not embossed but cover the embossed thread portion of the wall structure.

The next step is to apply the top disc I6 which extends over the upper face of the roll R and over the upper edge portion of the closure formed thereon. This top disc I6 is formed preferably of cardboardor other suitable material and may be pressed into place so as to cover the flange I4 and upper edge of the wall structure and to t snugly thereto.

Where a, side wall decoration is desired this may be applied over the wall structure 9-I5, as indicated at II in Fig. 6. The upper edge of the decorating strip I1 is preferably turned in over the periphery of the top disc I6, as shown at I8. An additional top decoration may be applied thereover as indicated at I9 in Fig. 7. The lower projecting edge of the contact lining B is then turned outward about the lower .edge of the wall structure, as indicated at 20 in Fig. '7.` This completes the formation of the cap as a whole.

It will be evident that these successive layers of paper or other flexible material that form the wall of the cap are secured together in any suitable manner, as by an adhesive of the character described, and co-act to form a sturdy and rigid closure cap.

After the completion of the forming operation, the cap may be unscrewed readily from the roll R by relativerotation therebetween. The cap is initially retained on the roll R only by the thread rib 'I, so that it may be separated readily by unscrewing.

This closure may be made entirely of paper or other thin flexible material and is capable of manufacture on very simple machinery and at low cost; At the same time it forms not only an effective closurebut one that may be secured rigidly to a container, as by a screw-thread or other fastening formed integral with the inner wall of the closure. At the same time, the closure cap is superior in use to more expensive structures used heretofore.

The closure lends itself readily to any desired decoration that may be applied in an inexpensive manner, 'as by a printed strip on the surrounding wall and top thereof. Thus it presents an attractive appearance in use.

While the invention has been illustrated in one embodiment, it is recognized that variations andchanges may be made therein Without departing from the invention, as specified in the claims.

1'. In the method of making a closure cap on a roll mandrel having a peripheral groove therein, the steps comprising winding thin non-metallic material on said mandrel, embossing a groove in said material by pressing the material into the groove in the mandrel to form a securing projection he inner side of the cap, applying ayers of non-metallic material over ayer and individually embossing said yers by pressing the material thereof into the embossed groove of the preceding layer.

2. In the method of making a closure cap on a roll mandrel having a peripheral groove therein, the stepsjfcomprising winding a layer of nonmetallic ilexible material on said mandrel, embossing a. groove in said material by pressing the material into the groove in the mandrel to form a thread 'projection at the inner side of the cap. thereafter, applying additional layers of nonmetallic flexible material over said first layer. and individually embossing said successive layers as each cuff; them is applied by pressing the material thereof into the embossed groove of the Y next preceflding layer.

3. In thpj method of making a closure cap on a roll mandel having a peripheral helical thread groove migliaia, the steps comprising winding thin non-metallic flexible material in a layer on said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED srATEs PATENTS Number Name Date 802,381 Fenn Oct. 24, 1905 2,047,284 Morris L July 14. 1936 2,059,707 Robinson Nov. 3, 1936 2,120,903 Moore June 14, 1938 2,330,896 Keith Oct. 5, 1943 2,390,721 Mallgraf Dec. 11, 1945 2,403,287 Keith July 2, 1946 2,418,353 Keith Apr. 1, 1947 

